How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse
|Source = Book}} How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse is the fourth book in the How to Train Your Dragon book series. It was first released in 2006 in the UK on April 1, 2007 in the US. Official Summary Synopsis The Viking Novices arrive at Mount Villainy aboard huge sleighs pulled by Sabre-Tooth Driver Dragons. They are to practice 'Hunting-With-Bows-and-Arrows-on-Skis' lessons, shooting the abundant Semi-Spotted Snowpecker. Gobber gives them instructions, then goes to sleep. The boys pair up and take a Driver Dragon with them to pull them to the top of the mountain. Hiccup and Fishlegs pair up, and take a human-hating Driver Dragon named One Eye. While making pitiful attempts as both skiing and hunting, the boys encounter a group of Hysteric hunters. Fishlegs goes into an uncharacteristic Berserker rage and 'attacks' the hunting party. The Hysterics chase after him, while Hiccup chases after the Hysterics. In an attempt to save Fishlegs, Hiccup shoots an arrow into the rear-end of one of the Hysterics. This one happens to the the Hysteric Chief, Norbert the Nutjob. The boys barely escape, with Norbert swearing revenge. Later, the boys prepare to play Smashsticks-on-Ice against the Bog-Burglar Tribe team during Freya'sday Fete. Fishlegs looks ill, and after the game starts, again goes into a Berserker rage and insults Stoick. Fishlegs is taken to Old Wrinkly for care. Old Wrinkly divines that Fishlegs had been bitten by a Venomous Vorpent, and only has until the next day to live. Old Wrinkly also tell the impossible tale of a cure - the The-Vegetable-That-Must-Not-Be-Named - and that the Hysterics might have this mythical vegetable. Stoick forbids his son from going to search for it. However, Hiccup lies and says he is going to stay overnight at Snotlout's house, but is in fact going on a Quest for the Potato. Camicazi overhears his plans and tags along, as well as One Eye. Since the entire sea is frozen, the group travels by sleigh to Hysteria, arriving during the night. Due to a monstrous Doomfang lurking in the waters, the Hysterics have not set sail for nearly 15 years. During Winter, the Doomfang is trapped under the ice. The group sneaks into the Hysteric village to the Great Hall, while the residents are gathered their for a Freya'sday Eve feast. Hiccup falls into the Great Hall and is captured. Norbert recognizes him, and tosses his Axe of Doom into the air to decide his fate. Hiccup grabs it and puts the light side down, making his own 'fate'. Instead Norbert cages him. The feasters eat and get drunk and sleepy. Hiccup tries to get Toothless to open his cage, but instead the dragon gorges on food and swallows the key. He also awakens everyone and starts a fire. Camicazi releases Hiccup and the two fight their way out of the Great Hall, after Camicazi steals The-Vegetable-That-Must-Not-Be-Named - a potato -which has an exotic arrow in it, as well as a Ticking Thing. They are pursued across the ice by Norbert, and also from below the ice by the Doomfang. The Doomfang cracks open the ice. Norbert fears he is going to get eaten by him, but instead it wrestles away the potato from Hiccup with its tongue. The Doomfang eats the potato and then leaves the area, thus lifting the 'curse' from the Hysterics, as they will now be able to safely sail again. Norbert decides not to kill Hiccup because of this and leaves. Hiccup is heartbroken, as he now has no cure for Fishlegs, and returns home empty-handed. Back on Berk, Hiccup visits Fishlegs for his final moments. Hiccup is overcome with emotion and them becomes deathly pale and ill himself. Old Wrinkly indicates he must have mixed up the boys - Fishlegs only has the flu and Hiccup has Vorpentitis. With only minutes to live, Fishlegs understands his best friend's garbled speech, and shoots him with the exotic arrow that was in the potato. It lands on Hiccup's toe. Hiccup immediately feels better, as it turns out the arrow had soaked in the potato juices for many years. Characters Human Characters *Big-Boobied Bertha *Bigjob *Camicazi *Clueless *Deadly Doris *Dogsbreath the Duhbrain *Fishlegs *Gobber the Belch *Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III *Lovethug *Madguts the Murderous *Norbert the Nutjob *Old Wrinkly *Snotface Snotlout *Speedifist *Stoick the Vast *Tuffnut Junior *Wartihog Dragon Characters *Hiccup's Guardian Angel *One Eye *Snaggletooth *Toothless Dragon Species *Doomfang *Sabre-Tooth Driver Dragon *Thunderer *Squealer *Venomous Vorpent Locations *America *Bog-Burglar Islands *Cannibal Isle *Hooligan Harbor *Hooligan Village *Hysteria *Isle of Berk *Long Beach *Mazy Multitudes *Villainy *Open Ocean *Outcast Lands *Sullen Sea Objects and Practices *Axe of Doom *Dragonese *Freya'sday Eve *Freya'sday Fete *Old Wrinkly's Cures for Common Illnesses *Pirate Training Program *Potato-Burglars' Run *Prophecy of the Potato *Smashsticks-on-Ice *The American Dream *The Hopeful Puffin *Ticking Thing Site Navigation Category:Books Category:How to Train Your Dragon (book series) Category:Media